Are you a technology professional or college student in the Troy, NY area? Would you be willing to donate a few hours of your time to mentor teens during our fourth annual Teen Game Workshop
We have some awesome teens who have signed up and want to learn, and a great program in which they will be making a game in a single week! You can help make this a great experience by being an in-classroom coach to help students through the inevitable challenges (computers, software, design, you know the drill!).
Background
This is a community service event that provides a free, week-long workshop for local teens who may not have had the resources to explore the exciting field of computers and game development. The hope is that, by the end of the week, these teens will have gained new skills and confidence, and will view technology as a field that is open for them to pursue. The goal of the mentorship program is to provide an opportunity for local professionals in these fields to give back and inspire the next generation.
Your Role
We are looking for local professionals in tech-related fields who can serve as classroom mentors for a few hours during the week, assisting teens as they create a game using one of two free authoring programs. We have instructors, so your role will be to be available to help students apply what they are learning, model how to overcome computer challenges, and encourage students who may become discouraged or fall behind during our rigorous schedule. While they will not actually be programming, they will be using programming concepts, with the ambitious goal of each having a game to show off at the end of the week.
Details
We have shifts ranging from a couple hours on one day, or a half-day, or a repeating visit. We are currently reviewing our course curriculum, but the tools we use are easy to pick up and our focus is teaching students how to learn to find their own answers. We would also be delighted if mentors would speak for 5-10 minutes about what they do in their field. Your examples and connection with the teens will be key to the impact this week-long experience can have on them.
Sign up!
We know you are very busy and our goal is to find the time that works best for your schedule while providing 3-4 mentors per class at any given time. We can also work with larger groups to coordinate a group day, and also look for people who are willing to speak about their experiences. If you are willing to help, please email us at camporganizers@gamesineducation.org